Note to self: always check the small print on the bills before paying them.
Case in point: I received my Qwest (phone and internet) bill a couple of weeks ago. Because the amount owed is usually in the $65 range, I was shocked to see that my bill for the current month had increased to over $80!!
Panicked, I tore through the many, many pages of internet charges, discounts, phone charges, taxes, more taxes, credits, etc, etc, etc. On the very last page, I saw that an internet voicemail account---to the tune of $14.99 a month---had been added to my bill! I didn't recognize the company and had no recollection of needing or signing up for internet voicemail, so I immediately called the 1-800 number listed on that particular page, ready to do battle.
Turns out, the person who had my phone number previously (about three years ago) had used MY phone number to sign up for this internet voicemail system. Meaning that he received the service and I was to pay the bill! I was LIVID. I wonder how many people simply pay their bills---even if it's a little higher than usual---without looking into the details? The person who had my phone number previously probably hoped that I would simply pay the increased bill and chalk it up to inflation.
There isn't much (that I can find, YET) on the internet about this type of fraud (because that's how I see it) but I did come across a good resource for consumers, related to phone bills. Importantly, there is an address for the FCC that consumers can use to communicate their complaints about phone companies. Personally, I think there should be some sort of protection in place to keep someone from simply using the internet to place charges on my phone bill. At no time was I notified about it, until I was actually charged for the internet voicemail service.
I'll be writing a letter to the FCC to complain about this, and in the meantime, I'll be going over my bills with a fine tooth comb.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Frugal errors. . . .
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2 comments:
Oh my!! My husband has also found similiar things on some of our bills. He reads them all in detail to make sure there are not wrong charges on them. Thank you for reminding those (like me) who sometimes hurridly skim them the importance of detail.
Urgent prayer update on my blog for colton. GOD BLESS you for praying. andrea
I recently received two inaccurate bills: 1)for our gas/electric bill. The bill was for $800 because the meter reader read our meter incorrectly. I had to call and have them change it, which they did; 2)Our finance company for our car charged our checking account twice for our payment. I paid the first time and then there was a second charge. I called them and they said I had authorized them to automatically withdraw the payment each month, which I never did. I'm learning to keep an even more vigilant watch on my accounts and bills.
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